Method of making a solution of rare-earth metals.



To all where it may concerns I i Y i mm STATES 'QFFICE.-'

' cnJ nLEs BA'sKERVILLn-o'r- NEW YORK, Nix, ASSIGNOR To .wELsBAcH- Lien'r conmui;

OF GLQUQESTER, ew JERsEv,-' -'A coni oRA'moN onsew JERSEY;

- .METHOD on-asoLUnoN; F RARE-EARTH META-LS.

Be it known that I, CIIAnrLEs 'BAs'KER VILLE, a citizen of the United States, residin at New York, in the county of New York an 'State of New York, have invented certain new and useful-Improvements in Method of Making a fiolution of Rare-Earth Metals, of

I which the followin is a specification.

My invention re ates to -improvernents in methods for the obtaining in solution or recovery ofthe 0X1( lS ofce'riumthor um, z r-;

' conium, theordinarily insoluble rare earths, as well as man of the rare earth nnnerals,.as

monaz ite san andlthe likel i 15 p The object of my invention has for its purpose uickly and chest ly obtaininginsolu-g tion t e OXldSDf the a ove named elements and those of the rare earths and like substances, and also a recovery of the same from brokendown Vl elsbach mantles in such a form as to be easily applied and used again in connection with new y woven filaments.

.' The invention consists .of well defined steps and certain procedure-which will be 'hereinafter more clearly described and par- I ticularlggpointed out in the appended claims.

It is own that the oxids of thorium, zircomnm, the rare earth 0X1(lS and minerals as monazite sands together with ceriurn dioxid do not dissolve completely either in strong or. dilute hydrochloric acid when heated under ordinary atmospheric pressure, but I have found by experiment that the above menmeans and material may be adopted, as 'for go back into solution only with great difficulty.

' fusionwith alkalies or alkaline sulfates.

The chlorids of.these metals, cerium, thorium,- zirconium and rare earths, are all quite soluble in water, and can be had and used in the concentrated form if so'desired and not in dilution, the condition one must work with in sulfates. The cerium oxid goes into solution with sulfuric acid only with exceeding slowness', often not at all, and usually requiFres 'or the above reason, I have found that the use of hydrochloric acid is ad-vantageous and,-

' Specification-of Letters Patent. I it imittiiiearuie la eoa se inMasada.

- a peaaretmta "In recovering the more of therare earths in useless and" broken iyelsbaghmantle's, the

remnants ofjthe' mant jesfmay be acted upon pressure." ,The method of.

erati ingjthe, or'dinai'ily iiisoliuble' o'xids of cerium,

The pressure develop increases the activity oi the acid and. the oxids above mentioned are readily obtained in solution.

It will also be unders'tbod that instead of creating the pressuref'jwithin the tube or other vessel by sealingitlie same and applying heat, which I haveiiound the most efiicient and the preferred gianner of carrying out my invention,'I do not wish tolimit myself to this specific arrangement, as other example, a pressure connected to the heating vessel, wluc function of sustaining an atmosphere in the tube or other-vessel under pressure. If so desired, metal, earthenware or otheryesseIs may be used, and other acids may also be employed instead of hydrochloric acid.

- Havin now fully described my invention, what I claim as new'and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows reparing a solution 100 containing a rare. earth .Zmetal which com- 105 prises heating a compound of said metal in a finely divided state with hydrochloric acid and under high pressure? 3. The inetho" of preparing asolution containing a ra. J earth-metal "which com- 110 ofniyinv ention is asfollows take; the substances containwi I effect the same' Patented Dec. 1o-, 1eo7.

' preferable in foiining a compound which is". quite soluble in water and may be had in a .ve I 'concentratedfo'rni. I have'discov'ered i r1 referably' g lw 'thian'ex'css j of' hydirochlorica The tubes are'sealed and theflhatedf .ialilej'lleiigth'siof time at a- 65 with nitric acid un ej similar' conditions of priscsiirst, finely 'sub-dividing the substance containing the metal, second, heating the same under high dpressure and in'an excess of hydrochloric aci 4. The method of containing a rare'eart metal-Which com.-

prises first; finely sub dividjng the substance -contammg the rare earth metals of elsbach' mantle remnants, which comprises heating the remnants under high pressure. in an e59 cess'of-mjneral acid. 4 I 6,: The -method of preparing a solution containin'gthe rare earth metals ofWelsbach 1 man le remnants, which comprisesheating.

' containing afrare ear the remnants under high pressure in' an excess, off-mineral acid, evaporating the excess ofaoid and dihl ting the 'residue.-

" 'Zl The met-lied f ofreparing a solution tli metal which com:

,prijsesj-heating a compound of said metal un- .der pressure an eral acid; said pressurefbeing created by heatin the solution of theacid. 8', T e method of eparing af solution I containinga rare earth-metal which com r ses heating a compound of saidfmetal in a ely diiridedstate, under. pressure in an '9. The method of reparing a solution same under. high A t the 8 616: 5.1 The method of preparing a solution aqueous solutionjof. a -tion of'the acid.

aqueous solution of a mineral acid, said 'pressure be a ated, by heating the solution of reparing a solution c0ntain1ng' .a rare .eart metal which comprises first finely. sub -dividinglthe substance containing the metal, second, heating the pressure in an a uepus solutron of an excess sure being created byi'heating the solution of reparing a solution metal which 'com- 10. The method of containing a rare eart prisesfirst, finely su f-dividmg the substance containing. the-metal, see-0 d,. heating the-1 same under.- pressure and a temperature from 140 to 200. C, in an aqueous solution of 'a mineral acid, said pressure being. createdby heating the'solution of the a'cidlfi- 11 Themethodof reparing a solution containing the 'rare mantle remnants which comprises heating the: remnants under high pressure in an aqueous solution of an excess 0% acid, said pressure being created' by heating the" soluf In testimony whereofl aflix my signature in presence of'two witnesses e CHARLES BASKERVILLEJ 'witnessesz HERBERT FySILL,

N. R. GRAHAM.

ofa mineral aci saidEpreseart metals of Welsbach 

